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Social groups and meetups in Adelaide — make friends and connections

Adelaide has the friendliest reputation of any Australian capital — but you still have to put yourself out there. Here's where locals find their people.

Ways to meet people in Adelaide

  • Meetup.com (Adelaide)

    Hundreds of active interest groups — hiking, board games, photography. meetup.com/find/?location=Adelaide

  • Local sports club

    Adelaide has clubs for every code — social, mixed and over-35 grades.

  • Running group

    Free morning runs through the parklands and along the Torrens. See our running guide.

  • Community garden

    Volunteer Saturdays at neighbourhood gardens across the inner suburbs.

  • Library-run book club

    Most City of Adelaide and council libraries host free monthly clubs.

  • Trivia nights

    Weekly pub trivia is one of Adelaide's easiest ways to meet locals — most pubs run Tuesday or Wednesday.

  • Volunteer group

    From food rescue to surf life saving — see our volunteer jobs page.

  • Language exchange

    EF Language Cafe and Conversation Exchange match Adelaide locals with newcomers learning English.

Making friends in Adelaide as a newcomer

  1. Show up regularly to one weekly thing — repetition beats novelty for friendships.
  2. Say yes to invitations for the first six months, even when you don't feel like it.
  3. Live near where you socialise — Adelaide's small enough that a 15-minute radius matters.

LGBTQIA+ community in Adelaide

Feast Festival runs every November and SA Rainbow Advocacy Alliance connects Pride groups year-round. For peer support: QLife 1800 184 527 (3pm–midnight, every day).